Tara's Tome
by whitem
Summary: On a cold night in Middleton, Tara stumbles across a small bookstore that is more than what it appears to be...
1. Chapter 1

I've had this idea on the back burner for a while, and finally decided to bring it forward. Now that it's finally getting some attention, let's see what we end up with…

Disclaimer: Any Kim Possible characters used therein aren't mine, nor do I gain any monetary compensation for their use in this story. Although there will be one major character that is an original by me.

Chapter 1

It was a dark and cold night in Middleton Colorado, actually on the verge of snowing, but there wasn't quite enough moisture in the air. It was just about midnight and a lone figure was slowly walking along the sidewalk, bundled in an oversized gray parka with a red stocking hat and thick pink fuzzy mittens on her hands.

From a distance it was hard to tell who the figure was, and you had to be pretty much right in front of her to see the blue eyes, and small wisps of blond hair framing her face… It was a twenty-five year old Tara King.

Tara sniffed again for maybe the 50th time that evening, and ran a mitten across her now red nose. Her eyes were red from crying, and her lower lip simply could not stop trembling. Whether it was from her crying or the cold, a person couldn't rightly tell.

Her slow walk took Tara in front of a small shop on this stretch of sidewalk that she didn't recognize, but it had a light on inside. It looked like an old bookstore that might have been there for years, but the young girl didn't recognize it for the life of her.

Just as Tara stepped past the door, she heard the tinkling of a small bell behind her, and then the voice of an elderly woman. "Come inside, child. You look cold, and my store is warm." Tara turned around, and she did indeed see an elderly woman.

Being as cold as she was, Tara just smiled and entered the small shop, saying 'Thank-you' as she entered.

The old woman appeared to be somewhere between seventy to eighty years old, Tara surmised, but the lady seemed quite spry for her age. "Would you like some hot chocolate Dear? I just made some.

After taking her gloves off and un-zipping her coat, Tara smiled. "Yes, I would love a cup. Thank-you… Miss…?"

"Oh dear… where are my manners?" The old woman said as she adjusted a thick shawl that was draped over her shoulders. "My name is Abigail Winters, but you can call me Abby. What's _your_ name my dear?"

Tara took off her stocking hat, causing her long blond locks to fall loosely about her shoulders, and a few strands stuck out from the static. "My names Tara… Tara King. Nice to meet you Abby."

"My, my… aren't you a pretty girl." Abby said as she stepped up to Tara, handing her a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

"Thank-you ma'am." The young girl replied while taking the cup. "I didn't think there would be any stores open at this hour, and you surprised me a bit when you opened your door." She sniffed again, before taking a sip of her drink. "Mmm… Just like Mom used to make."

"**Used **to, Dear?" Abby asked, and offered Tara a seat in a comfortable chair in what appeared to be a reading room, of a sort.

"She passed away just after I graduated high school."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh that's OK." Tara took another sip, reveling in the small amount of cinnamon and touch of mint.

"So you're sad about something else?" The old woman asked as she sat down next to Tara in another chair that she hadn't noticed before.

"Oh I'm not s…" She started to say, but the look that Abby gave her said that the old woman was very astute as to why she had been crying. "Someone I care for very much just got married to his childhood friend." Tara kept her head down, as she could feel her eyes welling up once again now that she was warming up.

"Let me guess my dear… And you were… ahem… are… in love with him?

Blue eyes snapped up first, then Tara slowly raised her head and nodded.

"Are you happy for him?" Abby asked, while gently laying a hand on the younger girl's forearm.

"Yes, I am." Tara said a bit too fast, or so she thought. "And for K… I mean for the girl he married as well. She's also a good friend of mine."

"But yet I can see that your heart is still troubled. You seem to be happy for them, yet your sad because you would like to know if you and this young man could have had a future together. Am I right?"

At first the young blond girl was taken back a bit. She had just met this older woman just a few minutes ago, and she already had read Tara like a… book.

Cautious blue eyes looked over at Abby. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't think so, my dear…But I do think I can help you, if you'll let me." The old woman slowly rose from her chair and went to an old wooden stand, and removed an old book that was bound in heavy leather. The book appeared to be heavy, as it was easily over a foot tall and maybe ten inches across, but the old woman seemed to carry it like it was nothing.

Abby brought the book over to Tara, who took the large tome and set it in her lap. The young girl was glad she had jeans on, as the leather felt quite cold to the touch.

Tara looked up with a questioning glance, and before she could say anything, Abby replied. "It's your book, my Dear."

"Wh… what do you mean, 'my book'? I… I don't own anything like this… and I doubt I can afford anything so…" Tara ran a finger across the raised design on the outside. "Beautiful."

Suddenly the raised design that was unrecognizable to the young girl moved on it's own accord, and formed a first, middle, and last name. The name… Tara Renee King.

"What the…" She yelped in surprise, wanting to initially throw the book off her lap, but Tara found that she couldn't even budge the book.

"As I said…" Abby spoke with a smile, "It's your book. Open it."

At first Tara didn't even want to touch the object sitting in her lap. Yes, it was a book, by all means, but what book could change it's own title? And how did it know her middle name?

With eyes closed, she slowly lifted the cover with just two fingers, and Tara lay the book open. After a moment she finally opened her eyes to look down at the pages, and Tara saw… nothing. Immediately she took a thumb, lifted a few pages and let them slowly fall back down, looking at each page.

Tara looked up at Abby, then back down at the pages, then she did it one more time before saying, "Wh… why are the pages blank?"

"Like I said, it's your book, and you can write it anyway you wish. Would you like something in your past to happen differently than it already has, or how would you like your future to play out? At the risk of sounding cliched, your life is an open book, and you can write anything you want. You can either change the past, or mold your future. So… Tara Renee King… I would like you to start writing."

Unbeknownst to Tara, somewhere towards the back of the bookstore, a clock started to strike the midnight hour.

**To be continued…**

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I'm planning on this to be only 3 chapters, Possibly 4. Hopefully it's not **too** predictable…


	2. Chapter 2

Let me say Thank-you to all who reviewed the previous chapter: John Macmillian, CajunBear73, Taechunsa, Invader Johnny, Rye-bread, Sentinel103, levi2000a1, Imyoshi, dr-fanmai-lover, and bigherb81… As usual, y'all Rock!

**Previously…**

With eyes closed, she slowly lifted the cover with just two fingers, and Tara lay the book open. After a moment she finally opened her eyes to look down at the pages, and Tara saw… nothing. Immediately she took a thumb, lifted a few pages and let them slowly fall back down, looking at each page.

Tara looked up at Abby, then back down at the pages, then she did it one more time before saying, "Wh… why are the pages blank?"

"Like I said, it's your book, and you can write it anyway you wish. Would you like something in your past to happen differently than it already has, or how would you like your future to play out? At the risk of sounding cliched, your life is an open book, and you can write anything you want. You can either change the past, or mold your future. So… Tara Renee King… I would like you to start writing."

Unbeknownst to Tara, somewhere towards the back of the bookstore, a clock started to strike the midnight hour.

**And now the continuation…**

Chapter 2

Just as Tara was about to ask the old woman for something to write with, Abigail was right next to her holding out what appeared to be an old-fashioned pen that you dip into ink. "Do I need…"

"Just start writing my dear. You have everything you need."

Feeling just a little confused, and more than a bit curious, the blonde girl placed the pen to the first page, and suddenly it was as if Tara was watching a scene play out in front of her. It was back when she was in high school when that really weird fish-looking guy had lured the cheer squad to Camp Wanna Weep.

Mr. Barkin and Ron were walking out of the park, and just as the two passed underneath the arched entryway, the teacher of all trades slapped Ron on his shoulder. "Nice work Stoppable."

Mr. Barkin continued on ahead, and the rest of the cheer squad came up behind Ron throwing out their own congratulations. "Way to go Ron!" "Alright!" "You rule!"

Rufus, who was on the blond boy's shoulder, immediately started saying 'Thank-you', and Ron replied with "No, no, no, no, no… Thank-you." Just as he bowed down, a young Tara King passed by Ron and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, making both him and his pet mole rat act very surprised.

Then something happened that had not occurred… before? At first it looked as though Tara was going to continue past the boy, but then she stopped and walked back to stand just in front of him. Her blue eyes shone like diamonds as she took in her hero, and then suddenly, without hesitation, she took Ron Stoppable into a hug and placed a full kiss right on his lips! In reality the kiss lasted for approximately five seconds, but to a young teenaged boy named Ron Stoppable, it lasted much, much longer.

Bonnie Rockwaller, who was right behind Ron, stood with her mouth open in utter shock, just as almost everyone else around them. Marcella, Liz, and Jessica, who were all standing by the police cars all had dumbfounded looks on their faces, just as Hope and Crystal, who were behind Bonnie.

Kim seemed to be the one _most_ in shock, but Mr. Barkin and Officer Hobble both had knowing grins on their faces. It was if they knew what thoughts Ron might have going on inside his now fried teenage brain.

Suddenly Mr. Barkin's voice boomed. "Hey listen up, the police are gonna give us a lift home! Let's lock and load!"

"Umm… Ron?" Kim said as she walked up behind her best friend, and waved a hand in front of his eyes in an attempt to break him of his kiss-enduced stupor. "Are… are you OK?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" The blond boy finally pulled himself out of the pure bliss he had just encountered. Or so he thought. "I'm fine Kim." His voice trailed off as he looked at Tara, who blew him another kiss just before getting into the police cruiser. "Umm… what were you saying Kim?"

"I was asking you if you were OK? You know? Since Tara kissed you in front of everybody after you saved… basically the entire cheer squad, including me and Mr. Barkin?" By now the young red head had moved in front of her best friend in an attempt to get his attention fully on her.

"Oh I'm fine Kim… In fact I'm Tara." His eyes then popped opened a bit bigger when he realized what he had said. "I mean I'm fine Kim! I mean… I've never **been** more Tara, I mean… I like her! I mean, I'd never be like her! I mean… Ohh crud…" His voice trailed off again as his eyes drooped one more time, appearing to go back into a state of blissful memory.

"C'mon, Cassa-no-duh…" Kim said with a bit of a sneer in her voice, "We need to get going. You, me, and Mr Barkin are in the other Police car. I'm sure everybody's 'rents are worried about them, including ours. On our way back, you can tell me all about how you defeated Gil. I mean, Gill."

…x x x x…

The next thing Tara knew she was back in the bookstore, sitting with a large book in her lap. At first confusion ruled the features on her face, but almost as fast she recalled where she was. Her fingers had just lifted the pen off the page, and now she noticed that there were words on the previous three or four pages.

"Wh… what's going on here? It's as if… it's as if I was actually…"

"There?" The old woman said as she sat on a sofa off to one side of Tara. "You were, my Dear."

The blonde girl narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean…"

"You're changing your past. Isn't that what you wanted to do? Make things happen more to… your own liking?" The old woman had been holding a pair of knitting needles, and she set them down next to her on the couch and looked right into Tara's blue eyes. "Isn't this how you've always dreamed things would have happened?"

"I…" Blue eyes dropped down, and her cheeks glowed a little pink from embarrassment. "Yeah, I've thought about that day… a lot. Even more so, now that Ron and Kim got m… Wait a second… You said I'm **changing** my past?"

An old and wrinkled face smiled, and Abigail Winters just leaned back into the couch and picked up her knitting needles. She motioned towards the book, indicating that Tara should continue to write.

The blonde looked back down at the book, wondering what she should do. _Is this lady off her rocker? Could this lady hurt me if she wanted to? I think I could take her if she tried anything physical with me._

Tara tried once again to move the book off her lap, but found that she couldn't, besides the fact that it appeared to have no weight on her legs. She was stuck where she was, and it appeared the only way out, was to finish what she started.

After a quick check of the last two paragraphs, Tara once again put pen to paper.

To be continued…

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Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but this just seemed like a natural place to stop. Hope y'all continue to like it!


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